Automatic guiding means for tractors.



J. A. HAENER.

AUTOMATIC GUIDING MEANS FOR TRAGTORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1912.

Patented June 17, 1913.

Z A n m J Attorn 2g.

Zoa'tnesses:

J. A. HARNER. AUTOMATIC GUIDING MEANS FOR TRAGTORS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY28,1912.

Patented June 17,1913.

2 EHEETS-SHEET 2.

9 .r r 6 nn r H n. A n h witnesses:

Attorney.

To all wh om-z't may concern: I H JOHN A. HARNER, a

[fauna n. antenna, or CEDAR rALLs, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC GUIDING MEANS rort'rnncroas.

Application-fi led May as, 1912. Serial in. 700,219.

Be it known that I, citizen of. the United. States of America, and a=residentof Cedar Falls, Blackhawk county, Iowa, have invented certain new and. useful. Improvements in Automatic Guiding Means for Tractors, ofwhich the following is aspecification. .My invention relates to improvements in automatic guiding means for tractors and similarvehicles, and the object of my improvement is to furnish a guide-wheel supported by andprojectedffrom a tractor on.

which is adapted. to run a supporting body,

side of the tractor, and

in: a furrow at one 'furnished with connections operative on the pivoted axle of the tractor to automatically guide the latter parallel to the furrow, said wheel having adjustable mountings, adapted tokeep it ina proper working position,

notwithstandinggany warping of the supproved -guiding means, the tractor.

portingv body, and the connections between saidguide wheel and the tractor being othQ erwlse improved infashion and function. This objectI vhave accomplished by the meanswhich are .hereinafter described and; claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figurel is an upper plan view of my im- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the partsshown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective, detail, enlarged, of the adjustable forked bearing-block supported at the outer .endof the framework which is pivoted to the frontaxle of the tractor. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail, enlarged, of the removable supporting-body at the forward end of said framework which is adapted to ad- ,justably support said forked bearing-block shownin Fig. 3. Fig. 5

drawing of a tractor .and my automatic is a perspective guiding vmeans therefor, as in operative pos1t1 on.

.S mllar numerals of reference denote corwm yp parts throughout the several vlews. v v I The guide-wheel 39 of my improved device is mounted on a horizontal transverse shaft 21, the latter being fixedly seated in a bearing, orifice in a bearing-block 31. The

bearing-block31 is reinovably mounted for transverse oscillation, on a pivot-pintle 29 connecting the forward forks of a body 30. The wheel 39 is situated to one side of the said bearing-block 31, on the right-hand, so

Specification of Letters Patent.

as dissociated from Patented June 17,1913.

as to run in a furrow opened in the ground to the right-hand side of the tractor 44. The wheel 39 is rotatably mounted on the righthand portion of the shaft 21 between detachable securing means. These means comprise a pair of rings of cylindrical form,

shown at 33 and 34, on opposite sides of the wheel and abut-ting upon its hub-ends, onehalf of the hollow of each ring being filled with a semi-circular block 37, and set-screws 3, 4 and 5, with the bar 1 straight and directhand part of the tractor forward pivoted axle 38, while the other sidebar 2 is bent to the right to approach the bar 1 at their forward ends, where for a short distance they are parallel though spaced apart sufficiently- 2 connected rigidly by means of 'cressibars l .75 ed forward longitudinally from the right-' to permit of the supporting block 23 being seated removably between them. The supporting body 23 is bolted between said side bars 1 and 2 asstated, and is longitudinally orificed to receive movably a cylindrical projection or shaft 26 of the body 30, the rear end of said shaft projecting to'the rear of said body 23 andbeing threaded exteriorly to receive a pair of lock-nuts 24 and 25.

' As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bodies and 23 have their abutting faces prov1ded with counterpart radial corrugations 28 and 40 respectively, which fit together as clamping-means when the projection 26 has been. inserted in the orifice 41 of the body 23 and secured by the saidlock-nuts. When the nuts are loosened, the projection may be a little shifted longitudinally in said orifice, to permit of the body 30 being adjusted by being more or less rocked on its axis. Thisadjustment is particularly necessary, to correct deviations of the parts of the framework from the horizontal, due to stresses set up in it while moving over broken or rough ground. The body 30 may thus be adjusted so as to keep theshaft 21 horizontal or parallel to the ground surface, to insure proper running of the wheel 39 inthe I furrow without binding or breakage or in jury to the device generally.

The guide-wheel acts upon the directive fixed cross-bar 3 of said framework by' means of a pintle 7. Orifices 19 and 20 are pierced in the ends of the bar '8 equidistantly from the pivot 7 and the forward ends of the cables 12 and 13 are connected to the bar therein. The bar 8 is so proportioned and mounted that it may be removed and reversed in order to permit of a crossing of the cables 12 and 13 when desired or necessary for use in connection with certain types of tractors. To prevent any working loose of the body 30 a set-screw 27 may be inserted through an orifice 42 in said body to engage the projection 26.

The numeral 32 denotes a shoe whose lower rear extremity is secured to the forked block 30 by the bolt 29. The forward part of said shoe is bent upwardly and then rearwardly and lies loosely upon the top of the pivoted part 31; This shoe, being in front of said block 31 and covering it, acts to keep obstructions away therefrom, and is adapted to ride upon and over lumps of sod and other projecting masses met with in the forward progress of the machine to lift the frontend of the device clear therefrom and thus prevent damage thereto or a deflection in direction to the guide-wheel.

The cross-bars 3, 4 and 5 are rigidly secured to the side-bars 1 and 2 by means of bolts 6, and the rear ends of said side-bars are 'pivotally mounted on pintles 17 pro-v jected from hangers 16 and 18, thejlatter fixed to the end parts of the medially pivoted forward axle 38 of saidtnactor; Near the middle of the rear cross-bar '5, but

spaced apart, are the uprights 14 and 15 secured thereto rigidly, andorifices are provided in the upper ends of these uprigh'ts topermit the passage of the'cables 12 and 13 respectively, the rear ends of said cables then being secured to the chains 15 and 46 which are connected between the ends of said axle and some directive means of con trol, such as a hand-wheel and its shaft not shown. 4

The device is operative as follows: The operator of the tractor 4A- first. drives the tractor across a tract of ground to form a guide furrow, using his directive handwheel which acts on the chains 45 and 46 to rock the axle as desired. When the furrow is completed, the return trip is made with the guide-wheel 39 inthe newly opened furrow to the right-hand of the machine. It is obvious that the operator may now release the hand-wheel and allow the tractor to drive ahead, since the wheel 39 will follow the guide furrow in its course, rockin the shaft 21 and moving the parts 11, an j 8 to cause the cables 12 and 13 to exercise a draft upon the axle 38 to turn it o'n'its pivot ters Patent, is:

1. Automatic guiding means for a tractor,

comprising a supporting bracket pivotally connected .to the pivotal axle of a tractorfor vertical oscillations, a body seated adjustably in'the outer end of said bracket for transverse adjustment relative thereto, means for securing said body in an adjusted position, a bearing block pivoted in said claim as new, and desire to secure by Let adjustable bod for horizontal oscillations, Y

a shaft fixed in said bearing-block transversely to said bracket, a ulde-wheel rotatably mounted on one en of said shaft, and operative connections between the other end of said shaft and the ends of said axle adapted to rock said axle when said wheel is rocked.

2. Automatic guiding means for a tractor, comprising a supporting bracket pivotally connected to the pivotal axle of a tractor for vertical oscillations, a body seated removably and adjustably in the (outer end of said bracket andadapted to be rocked '100 said: body in racket, a bear- Y lng pivoted to said body for horizontal oscillations, a shaft fixed in said bearing trans-5 on a horizontal axis longitudinal to said bracket, means for securing) an adjusted position to said versely to said bracket, a guide-wheel r0 tatably mounted on one end of detachable shoe secured longitudinally about said oscillatory bearing, and operative connections between the other end of said shaft and said axle adapted to rock said 'axle in the same direction as the said shaft is racked.

3. Automatic guiding means for a tractor,

comprising a supporting bracket connected pivotally to the ends of the pivotal axle of a tractor for vertical oscillations, a body adustably seated in the other end of said bracket and adapted to: be turned on its hori-.

zontal axis, means for securing said body to said bracket in an adjusted position, a bearing-block pivotallyconnected .to said adjustable body for horizontal oscillations, a shaft fixed transversely in said bearing block, a guide-wheel rotatably mounted on one end of said shaft, a cross-bar medially pivoted to said bracket, a link pivotally connected between one end of said cross-bar and the end of said shaft opposite to said guide,

wheel, and cablesconnected between the ends of said cross-bar and the directive means of;

105 said shaft, a

the tractor which are secured to the ends of said axle on the same sides.

4. Automatic guiding means for a tractor, comprising a supporting bracket pivotally connected to the pivotal axle of a tractor for vertical oscillations, a body removably seated in the outer end of said bracket and provided with clamping means on its forward face, another body having similar clampingmeans on its face abutting upon the said forward face of the first-mentioned body and secured to the latter for adjustment on a longitudinal axis relative thereto and to said bracket, a bearing-block pivotally connected to said second-mentioned body for horizon tal oscillations, a shaft fixed in said bearing block, a guide-wheel rotatably mounted on one end of said shaft, and operative connections between the opposite end of said shaft and the ends of said axle adapted to rock the latter in the same direction as said shaft is'rocked by the movement transversely of said guide-wheel.

5. Automatic guiding means for a tractor, comprising a supporting bracket composed of rigidly connected spaced apart longitudinal bars converging toward their forward ends to one side and having'their rear ends pivotally connected to the pivotal axle of a tractor for vertical oscillations, a body removably seated between the forward spaced-apart ends of said longitudinal bars and having a plurality of engaging-means on its forward face, another body alined longitudinally with and pivoted to said first mentioned body for rocking adjustment relative thereto on a longitudinal axis, means for securing said bodies together with a desired adjustment of the second-mentioned body relative to the first, a bearing-block pivoted to the second mentioned body for horizontal oscillations a. shaft fixed in said bearing block, a guide wheel rotatably mounted on one end of said shaft, and operative connections between the other end of said shaft and the ends of said axle adapted to rock the axle when the shaft is rocked.

6. Automatic guiding means for a tractor, comprising a supporting bracket connected pivotally to the pivotal axle of a tractor for vertical oscillations, a body removably seated in the outer end of said bracket and having a radially dentated forward face, a second-body longitudinally alined with the on an axis longitudinal with said bracket,

and having its abutting face provided with like radial dentations and adapted to adjustably fit the dentations on the first-mentioned body, means for securing the secondto the first-mentioned body in a desired amount of adjustment of the former, a bearing-block pivotally connected to the secondmentioned body for horizontal oscillations, a shaft fixed in said bearing-block transversely to said bracket, a guide-wheel rotatably mounted on one end of said shaft, and operative connections between the opposite end of said shaft and the ends of said axle, adapted to transmit motion from the shaft to the axle to rock them consonantly together when the said guide-wheel is shifte from side to side.

7. Automatic guiding means for a tractor, comprising a supportlng bracket connected pivotally to the pivotal axle of a tractor for vertical oscillations, a body removably seated in the outer end of the bracket and having a radially-dentated forward face. a second body longitudinally alined with the first body and pivotally connected thereto on a longitudinal axis for rocking adjustment to either side, and having its abutting face provided with like dentations to fit those on the other body, means for securing said bodies together adjustably, a bearing-block pivotally connected to the second-mentioned body for horizontal oscillations, a shaft fixed in said bearing block transversely to said bracket, a guide-wheel rotatably mounted on one end of said shaft, a cross-bar medially pivoted to said bracket, a link pivotally connected between the end of said shaftopposite to said guide-wheel and to one end of said pivotal cross-ban and cables connecting the ends of said crossbar with the direction-controlling means of the tractor which are operatively connected to the ends of said pivoted axle.

Signed at lVater-loo, Iowa, this 10th day ofMay, 1912.

JOHN A. HARNER.

Witnesses:

W. BRUNN, Gno. G. KENNEDY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. t3. 

